From Amazon.co.uk
The Gunman and Other Stories is the logical and glorious apotheosis of Paddy McAloon's long-standing fascination with the mythology of America. Previous Prefab Sprout records have offered varying degrees of homage to such American totems as Elvis Presley, Jesse James, Frank Sinatra, Faron Young and Bruce Springsteen, but this is where McAloon well and truly rides off into the sunset.
The Gunman & Other Stories, after all, is first and foremost a country record, albeit one that only McAloon could have recorded: fans may be reassured that the luxuriant arrangements and inventive instrumentation that might be expected are all present and correct. It starts with "Cowboy Dreams", previously a hit for popular groaning actor
Jimmy Nail. It should go without saying that McAloon's reading of it is altogether more subtle; the wistfulness in his delivery of the "Yippee-aye-ay" coda is just about worth the price on its own. Elsewhere, McAloon serves up a space-age version of the standard "Streets Of Laredo", two perfect ballads that could and should be sung by
George Jones ("When You Get To Know Me Better", "Blue Roses") and the finest rock & roll rural romance since XTC's
"Love on a Farmboy's Wages" ("Cornfield Ablaze"). Meanwhile, closing track "Farmyard Cat", despite a close kinship with Rednex's "Cottoneye Joe" and Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song", manages to be curiously affecting.
--Andrew Mueller
Album Details
Paddy McAloon & company return with their EMI label debut. These are their first new recordings since 1997's 'Andromeda Heights'. Fresh off their Y2K tour, they recorded this disc in New York with legendary producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T.Rex). Paddy's trademark hushed vocals soar here along with sweepingly inventive melodies and strong lyrics. Includes their version of 'Cowboy Dreams' which was covered by Jimmy Nail in the early nineties.
